Cigar Storage and Ash Disposal Container and Method

ABSTRACT

To allow for capturing ash from smoking products such as cigars a container is provided that has a ferromagnetic bottom portion or alternatively a magnetic portion and one or more cradles or holders that are shaped to retain a smoking product such as a cigar wherein the combination of the container bottom and the cradle together allow for the cradle to be magnetically held in place on the container bottom.

RELATED APPLICATION

This is a non-provisional application claiming the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 63/188,871 filed on May 14, 2021.

SPECIFICATION Technical Field

Means and method for managing disposal of ash from a tobacco smoking product such as cigars and cigarettes, of the type wherein the tobacco burns and turns into ash during the inhaling and exhaling process referred to as the “smoking” process.

Background

While the system and method described can be applicable to cigarettes and other ash-producing tobacco-burning smoking products, it will be understood that the applicability is more clearly targeted to cigar smoking. That becomes apparent when the technique and as well the etiquette and formalities applied in cigar smoking address the ash producing and disposing effect. The smoking process produces a length of ash at the far end of the smoking product and that collection of ash is allowed to remain on the smoking product until it either falls off or becomes inconvenient to leave it in place, for example by concern that it will fall off. In cigar smoking, proper dealing with the ash is a collection of elements including part of the cigar smoking etiquette as well as the process to be enjoyed and in particular disposition of ash when it needs to be relocated for such disposition. The point comes when the ash needs to be detached from the cigar.

Dealing with the ash does of course eventually address disposing of the ash, but it also includes how the ash is managed while it expands in length while still attached and finally how it can be disposed of when it has to be relocated.

The two points, allowing the ash to develop on the cigar and finally tipping it off the cigar are the main issues addressed by the present system and method. Primarily those points are addressed in a context where the smoker is not in a convenient disposal context, such as at home, but rather when the smoker is at a location where the ash should be managed by the smoker so as to not disturb the location or other persons. In other words, the smoker has to keep control of the ash in his/her own possession.

Exemplary of such circumstances the ash is allowed to collect in length resulting in the need to dispose of the ash length either part way through the smoking or at the end of the smoking. The smoking of a cigar could be characterized as a hobby or as a social behavior, and in any case results in a set of steps to maximize the smoker's appreciation of the smoking process and to obey the etiquette.

This can be understood by reading publications such as on-line:

-   -   www.cigarsmokes.com/blog/cigar-smoking-etiquette-newbies which         is entitled Cigar Smoking Etiquette for Newbies and     -   www.swisscubancigars.com/guides/guide-smoking-cigars/how-put-out-cigar/entitled         HOW TO PUT OUT A CIGAR and     -   https://www.holts.com/clubhouse/cigar-101/get-a-long-cigar-ash         entitled how to get and keep a long cigar ash.

In the end, regardless of the smoker's personal intent, ash is formed and requires disposal, and combined with that necessity the smoking product must be managed in such as a way as to allow the ash to be neatly managed in the smoking time and having the smoking product being neatly managed as well.

The system and method described herein are directed at enhancing a neat and polite manner of enjoying the smoking event in a way that deals with both the disposition of the ash and the management of the smoking product. A specific environment is disposition of ash when it has to be moved from the location at which it developed and disposed of elsewhere. For example if the smoker is a guest or is at a place that does not welcome dumping ash. Then the ash has to be collected in a stored manner and taken away for later disposal. In addition a neat process is provided so as to not risk allowing a mess to develop.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows a view of an embodiment of the system and method in which a container is uncovered with a cigar mounted above the container over its containment space on cradles.

FIG. 1B shows a view of an embodiment of the system and method in which a container is uncovered with a partially consumed cigar showing its tip having ash and ash having been dropped from the cigar into the containment space.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1A and 1B and showing a cover for the container.

FIG. 3 an alternative embodiment—rectangular container in a closed configuration.

FIG. 4 shows a cut-away view of the alternative embodiment of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows an active use configuration of the embodiment from FIG. 3 with a cigar resting on the cradles positioned with the cigar distal end directly over an ash storage compartment.

FIG. 6 shows an exploded view of the embodiment from FIGS. 3-5.

FIG. 7 shows a closed configuration of an alternative embodiment of the system with a round ash storage compartment and a rectangular cigar storage compartment.

FIG. 8 shows the alternative from FIG. 7 in an open configuration showing the ash storage compartment open with the cigar cradles in storage position and the cigar storage compartment with its sliding lid open and four cigars in a storage position.

FIG. 9 shows the alternative from FIG. 7 in an active configuration showing the ash storage compartment open with a cigar resting in the cigar cradles positioned on top of the closed cigar compartment lid and the distal cigar end positioned directly over the open ash storage compartment.

FIG. 10 shows an exploded view of the container from FIG. 2 with an alternative embodiment single unit cigar cradle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In summary, the presently described system is a container intended for receiving ash that has or will fall from a smoking product including at least one removable and adjustable cradle that is carried in the container until the need for use. In use, the one or more cradles are placed in a standing position in the container and a smoking member can be put in place on the cradles in a position that will allow ash to fall into the container. Exemplar cradles have a leg portion and a bed portion. In one embodiment, on a bottom end of the leg portion a magnet is fitted. The container is either made of ferro-magnetic metal or at least all or a portion of its bottom has a ferro-magnetic portion to which the leg portion will magnetically attach. The top end of the leg portion has a curved bed on which the smoking element will sit. In exemplar embodiments, two cradles are provided so that the two beds can retain the smoking element in a position such that ash will fall into the container. A cover element is provided so that when the user wants to relocate and dispose of the ash, the cover can be fitted to the container bottom element. In a method of using the system, the cradles are placed to one side of the container bottom such that the ash producing end of the smoking member is clear above the bottom of the container whereby the ash falls cleanly into the container.

In various embodiments of the disclosed system, one or more cigars (smoking product) may be stored and transported in an unsmoked or partially smoked condition in a sealable container. The container also includes sealable space to stored ash waste from cigar(s) and one or more cradles which may be stored in the container for mobility and may be positionally moved and fixed in an upright position to hold a lit cigar on the cradle, such that the cigar ash will fall into the container as a natural part of burning or may be dislodged by mechanical encouragement (tapping) by the smoker to store waste ash in the container. Preferably, one or more cigars are stored unsmoked in one compartment of the container and the wasted ash is stored in a separated compartment of the container. The cigar cradles may be stored in either of these or a third compartment for compact sanitary storage and convenient transportation. It will be understood that although the system as described herein may refer to the use of a cigar, any number of smoking products my be used in place of the cigar, such as a cigarette, cigarillo, or hand-rolled cigarette. The cradle bed may be shaped to accommodate any of these, cigars of different diameters or may be shaped to cradle smoking products by cradle bed, which for example may be tapered to trap and hold various diameter smoking products/cigars.

A perspective view of an exemplar system showing a smoking product or cigar placed on two cradles is shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The various components of this exemplar embodiment system are identified including the cigar 5, container bottom 3, cradle 1, cradle bed 1A, cradle leg 1B and cradle magnets 2. FIG. 1A shows the cigar with a cut distal end 5A. FIG. 1B shows the cigar in a partially consumed or lit phase, with an ash forming on the lit distal end 5B and ash 5C shown fallen into the container bottom 3. As shown in this embodiment, the cigar is held in a still, level position, which has been known to slow the burn rate of the smoking member or cigar. The container lid is not shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Details of the system including other embodiments are described below.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of complete system embodiment including the container lid 7, smoking product or cigar 5, cradle 1, cradle bed 1A, cradle leg 1B, cradle magnet 2 and container bottom 3. For this embodiment, a round container shape is used. As can be seen from the later embodiments, many other shapes may be used, such as elongated rectangles and in preferred embodiments, multi-compartment containers. A feature all embodiments have in common is the ability of the container to both hold the removable/relocatable cradles as well as waste cigar ash. In this embodiment, the cradles 1 have a semi-circular cradle bed portion 1A formed as a bent semi-circular column with a square cross-section and a straight cradle leg portion 1B also with a square cross-section. In this embodiment, the cradle magnets 2 are mounted inset into the bottom end of the cradle legs (the end opposite to the cradle bed connection), allowing the cradles to be positioned in a variety of locations within the container while allowing the smoking product or cigar to rest on the cradles above the top rim of the container bottom 3. Cradle magnets 2 are sized appropriately to fit completely within a hollowed-out portion of the cradle leg such that one pole of the magnet physically contacts a ferromagnetic portion of the container floor. This allows the cradles to be positioned fixably and resistant to tipping or otherwise moving while in use cradling a cigar.

FIGS. 3-10 depict preferred embodiments of the system which utilize segregated compartments for ash and cigar storage. FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show various views of a second embodiment of the system, with the rectangular container 13 constructed with optional compartment divider 15. Shown in FIG. 3 is a view of the system with the container lid 13A in place in the closed, sealed or contained position. All embodiments include at least one container lid 13A and container bottom 13B. In FIG. 4, a cutaway view of the system shows a rectangular container 13 with the container lid 13A in place and the container carrying two cigars 5 and two cradles 1 shown flat in their storage position. In FIG. 5 an optional two-compartment configuration of the system is shown with the container divided up unto a cradle and ash storage compartment 17 and a cigar storage compartment 19. An optional compartment divider 15 is shown dividing the compartments. In FIG. 5 the cradles 1 are shown in their deployed position, vertically affixed by the cradle magnets to the floor or bottom of the cigar storage compartment and the distal end of the cigar placed over the ash storage compartment.

FIG. 6 shows an exploded view of the rectangular two compartment system shown with the container lid 13A, cigar 5, cradle(s) 1 and a two-compartment configuration 17 19 11 of the container bottom 11. This embodiment utilizes a ferromagnetic floor insert 6 to allow the cradle leg magnets 2 to magnetically attach the legs 1B to the floor insert 6 in the vertical position.

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 show an additional two compartment configuration suitable for carrying multiple cigars and multiple cradles in the container compartments. In this configuration, the system ash and cradle holding compartment is round 27 and has a separate storage compartment lid 21 from the rectangular cigar storage compartment 25. FIG. 7 shows the system embodiment with the ash storage compartment lid 21 and sliding cigar storage compartment lid 23 closed in place on the system. FIG. 8 shows an open view of this alternate system embodiment including the ash and cradle 1 storage compartment 27 and the smoking member or cigar storage compartment 25. This view shows a sliding cigar compartment lid 23 over the cigar storage compartment in the open position and four cigars 5 in the storage compartment 25. The lid for the ash/cradle storage compartment is off and not shown in this view. FIG. 9 shows the system in the active configuration, with the cigar cradles 1 magnetically affixed to a ferromagnetic portion of the lid 23 of the cigar storage compartment 25 with a cigar 5 resting on the cradles 1 and the cigar distal end resting over the ash/cradle storage compartment 27. This configuration allows for the system to be used with extra cigars stored in the storage compartment. In various embodiments, more than one set of cigar cradles may be used simultaneously to accommodate more than one smoker.

FIG. 10. shows an alternative embodiment of the container configuration from FIG. 3 in an exploded view. In this embodiment, an alternative single-unit cradle 31 with an extended cradle bed 31A is used instead of the narrower flat cradles from the other figures. In the shown embodiment, the cradle leg 31B is cylindrical and tapered. The taper of leg provides a larger base for additional cradle stability. As in other embodiments, the cradle includes an integrated inset magnet which may be fixably positioned on a ferromagnetic portion of the floor of the cigar storage compartment 19.

While the method and system are described in terms of specific embodiments, other embodiments could readily be adapted by one skilled in the art. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is limited only by the following claims.

The description as set out herein of exemplary and preferred embodiments is presented for purposes of illustration and disclosure in accordance with the requirements of the law. It is not intended to be exhaustive nor to limit the invention to the precise form(s) described, but only to enable others skilled in the art to understand how the invention may be suited for a particular use or implementation. The possibility of modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. No limitation is intended by the description of exemplary embodiments which may have included tolerances, feature dimensions, specific operating conditions, engineering specifications, or the like, and which may vary between implementations or with changes to the state of the art, and no limitation should be implied therefrom. This disclosure has been made with respect to the current state of the art, but also contemplates advancements and that adaptations in the future may take into consideration of those advancements, namely in accordance with the then current state of the art. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims as written and equivalents as applicable. Reference to a claim element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated. Moreover, no element, component, nor method or process step in this disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or step is explicitly recited in the Claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. Sec. 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for . . . ” and no method or process step herein is to be construed under those provisions unless the step, or steps, are expressly recited using the phrase “step(s) for . . . ” 

1. A method of smoking of a smoking product of the type that develops an ash length which needs to be allowed to fall off the smoking product and/or which is allowed to remain on the smoking product comprising: providing an ash container that includes an ash container bottom portion and an ash container lid that cooperates with the ash container bottom portion to close the container bottom portion sufficiently to retain ash that may be collected in the body portion and wherein the body portion has a bottom element that has a least a portion of ferro-magnetic material extending along a selected length of the bottom element; providing at least a single cradle which has a leg element and at a top of the leg element an upwardly open curved arm defining a curvature extending across the leg element so as to allow the smoking product to be placed in the curvature and located at a bottom of the leg element a magnet; whereby the cradle is adapted to be positioned in the ash container bottom portion by the bottom of the leg element being set on a ferromagnetic portion of the ash container bottom portion so as to be held in place by the magnet.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the cradle can be moved along the ferromagnetic portion of the ash container bottom portion to allow a smoking product to be positioned above the ash container bottom portion such that a lit portion of the smoking product developing ash is suspended above the ash container bottom portion whereby the ash may drop into the container.
 3. The method of claim 2 wherein there are at least two cradles which are spaced apart on the ferromagnetic portion of the ash container bottom portion such that a smoking product can be held in place by being positioned on both cradles.
 4. A portable cigar and ash storage and smoking system comprising: an ash storage compartment; a cigar storage compartment; at least one magnetically positionable cigar cradle having an upwardly concave cradle portion and a vertically oriented leg portion; at least one cigar cradle positioning magnet, wherein each of the at least one cigar cradle positioning magnets is inset into a distal portion of the corresponding leg portion of the at least one magnetically positionable cigar cradle and wherein the at least one or more magnetically positionable cigar cradles are sized to fit inside the ash storage compartment or cigar storage compartment in a storage configuration of the respective compartment, and wherein the at least one or more magnetically positionable cigar cradles are sized to be stably oriented upright at a magnetically fixable position suitable for holding a resting cigar horizontally with a lit tip of the resting cigar oriented over a location within a perimeter of the ash storage compartment.
 5. The system of claim 4 wherein the ash storage compartment and cigar storage compartment are separate compartments.
 6. The system of claim 4 wherein the one or more cigar cradles comprises two cradles sized to hold a cigar diameter size chosen from a set of standard cigar diameters.
 7. The system of claim 4 wherein the cigar storage compartment is sized to store a plurality of cigars.
 8. The system of claim 4 wherein a portion of the cigar storage compartment having a flat ferromagnet portion for accepting and magnetically fixing the magnet inset in an end of the leg portion of the one or more cigar cradles.
 9. The system of claim 5 wherein the ash storage compartment and cigar storage compartment have independent lid components.
 10. The system of claim 9 wherein the ash storage compartment is round.
 11. The system of claim 9 wherein the cigar storage compartment is rectangular.
 12. The system of claim 11 wherein a sliding lid of the cigar storage compartment is sized to cover the cigar storage compartment, the sliding lid having parallel edges sized to fit within a parallel mating groove in an upper portion of the cigar storage compartment interior side surfaces.
 13. A system for allowing collection of ash from a smoking product in which the ash can be collected during a smoking period that allows ash to drop into protected space and allows the ash to be securely carried away comprising: an ash storage compartment; a cigar storage compartment; at least one magnetically positionable cigar cradle having an upwardly concave cradle portion and a vertically oriented leg portion; at least one cigar cradle positioning magnet, wherein each of the at least magnets is inset into a distal portion of the corresponding leg portion of the cigar cradle and wherein the at least one or more cigar cradles may be contained within the ash and cigar storage compartments when stored and may be configured upright at a magnetically fixable position to hold a resting cigar horizontally with a lit tip of the resting cigar oriented over a location inside the ash storage compartment.
 14. The system of claim 13 wherein the ash storage compartment and cigar storage compartment are separate compartments.
 15. The system of claim 13 wherein the one or more cigar cradles comprises two cradles sized to hold a cigar diameter size chosen from a set of standard cigar diameters.
 16. The system of claim 13 wherein the cigar storage compartment is sized to store a plurality of cigars.
 17. The system of claim 13 wherein a portion of the ash storage container having a flat ferromagnet portion for accepting and magnetically fixing the magnet inset in an end of the leg portion of the one or more cigar cradles.
 18. The system of claim 14 wherein the ash storage compartment and cigar storage compartment have independent lid components.
 19. The system of claim 18 wherein the ash storage compartment is round.
 20. The system of claim 18 wherein the cigar storage compartment is rectangular.
 21. The system of claim 20 wherein a sliding lid of the cigar storage compartment is configured to cover the cigar storage by horizontally sliding the sliding lid within grooves on opposing sides of the inner surface near a top edge of the cigar storage compartment into which the opposing edges of the sliding lid is fitted. 